Sullivan County, Pennsylvania severe weather history spans 178 recorded events between 1954 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 61.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,565 nationally and #62 in Pennsylvania.
178
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$11.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Sullivan County, Pennsylvania severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania severe weather history averages 2.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 50 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 15 events fall before 1990 and 163 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Sullivan County, Pennsylvania record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $10.8M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Sullivan County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 109 | 0 | $242K | 78 | 1960–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 23 | 0 | $10.8M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 19 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1977–2024 |
| Tornado | 13 | 1 | $775K | F2 | 1954–2019 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2019–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2018–2018 |
Decade by decade
Sullivan County, Pennsylvania severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
14 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-07-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-09-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-08-16 | EF1 | 1 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-04-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-08-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-07-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-08-16 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-08-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-07-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Sullivan County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 1997 | Tornado | NORDMONT | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 26, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | MILLVIEW | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Aug 16, 1997 | Tornado | EAGLES MERE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
41/20/13N, 76/19/37W to 41/20/06N, 76/18/43W. The Ricketts Glen tornado was another example of tornadic winds embedded within a wider area of downburst damage. Downburst damage covered an area of about 3 miles wide from Ganoga Lake southeast to Lake Jean. An eyewitness at Ganoga Lake described a cloud of water being lifted off the surface of the lake. Another told of seeing a catamaran being lifted about 30 feet off the lake surface and thrown towards shore. The tornado appeared to cross Lake Jean and end in a campground. A 15-year old youth was fatally injured there when a tree was blown onto his tent. Other campers in tents narrowly missed injury.
A flash flood brought widespread damage to the town of Dushore. Numerous roads were closed. Several homes were damaged due to high water. Two water rescues were performed in Cherry and Colley Townships. German Street Bridge, SR 220 was damaged from flood waters. About 30 residents were displaced due to flooding in downtown Dushore. Two feet of water was estimated in downtown Dushore.
The National Weather Service in State College PA has confirmed a tornado near Dushore in Sullivan County Pennsylvania on April 15, 2019. A tornado touched down near World`s End State Park on State Route 154 and continued northeast into the borough of Dushore. Along its path, the tornado produced pockets of damage characteristic of wind speeds greater than 100 miles per hour. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted near World`s End State Park and in Cherry Mills. A barn was completely destroyed at Rickety Bridge Farm on Happys Road. The tornado did considerable damage to the borough of Dushore where 7-8 homes suffered moderate damage and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. A majority of the copper was removed from the top a church steeple as well. The tornado lifted east of US 220 after it passed through Dushore. Peak winds for the tornado were 110 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
5,888
Population (ACS)
$197K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | DR |
| Mar 30, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Nov 27, 2018 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Dec 2, 2016 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jan 10, 2013 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania?
178 events are on record between 1954 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $11.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sullivan County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 109 recorded events — 61.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Sullivan County?
14 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sullivan County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sullivan County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sullivan County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sullivan County as very low risk, placing it in the 11 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sullivan County, Pennsylvania severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Somerset County 416
- Susquehanna County 514
- Tioga County 338
- Snyder County 205
- Union County 185
- Schuylkill County 364
Cite this page
“Sullivan County, Pennsylvania.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/pennsylvania/sullivan-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.